63,730 Covid-19 screenings carried out since Sept 1 — Prisons DG

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 3): The Prisons Department has carried out 63,730 Covid-19 screenings on inmates, staff and family members from all prison institutions nationwide since Sept 1 until yesterday, said its director-general Datuk Seri Zulkifli Omar.

He said that his department had also imposed quarantine on all inmates, staff and family members, as well as close contacts potentially infected with the virus, apart from isolating and treating individuals tested positive for Covid-19.

“The move is implemented in accordance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the Ministry of Health (MoH).

“The directives to postpone sending inmates to the Prisons Department’s institutions by all enforcement agencies were also issued on Oct 15 to prevent the spread of the infection through detainees.

“Following the quarantine and lockdown strategy for remand detainees and convicts, the situation of Covid-19 transmission among prison institutions has become increasingly under control with a drop in daily cases,” he said in a statement issued today.

Zulkifli also said that as at yesterday, a total of 3,721 recovered cases involving remand detainees and convicts were recorded.

He said although the current situation was under control, his department still maintained the decision not to allow any form of meetings or programmes involving inmates in prisons.

“Improvements to the SOPs in terms of receiving, escorting and managing inmates from time to time to prevent the same problem from recurring will also be carried out,” he said.

Zulkifli, meanwhile, welcomed the decision reached in the National Security Council (MKN) meeting yesterday not to extend the implementation of the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) at Tapah Prison, Taiping Prison, Kamunting Correctional Centre, Sungai Buloh Remand Prison, Kajang Prison, Kajang Women Prison, Central Puncak Alam Correctional Centre, Sungai Petani Prison and Perlis Correctional Centre.